It is known to lubricate a glassware forming mold by igniting a carbonaceous gas with a spark electrode to deposit a thin layer of carbon soot in the mold. To ignite the gas, the spark electrode creates a spark across a gap between an electrode and a ground element. In use, the carbon soot builds up along the electrode, and particularly on an insulative coating around the electrode. Over time, an electrical path created by the carbon build up along the insulative coating establishes a path of least resistance through which electrical energy passes preventing the generation of a spark at the spark gap. Ultimately, this results in a failure to ignite the combustible gas and hence, failure to lubricate the glass contacting surface of the glass mold with the carbon soot.